Thermostatic valve mechanism.



L. P. HYNES.

THERMOSTATIG VALVE MEHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 11111.15, 1912.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

^ l Afro/mfr citizen of the- 15 the lvalve is controlled by theexpansion and contraction of a fluid through the .action of in Fig. 2. Fig. 2

valve having operating mechanism' conerating the ings, the radiator valve 1 is the valve .-stem Ais surrounded` c The disk 3 has'a iiange aronnd its edge-to with a suitable medium to a heating appliance such as a 'normally urged to an open 'rangedto favor'the transmission of heat to The npper and lower ,naar Hymns, or CHICAGO; ILLINoIs, assIGNonro :RAILWAY BH1-HAGO, 'ILLoIN'OIS,

ooRPoBATIoN or' ILLINOIS.

.UTILITY co., oF

ToaZZ whom imag-concern.'

it known that I, LEE .F.- vIfIXNns, a United States ot America, and .a resident of Chicago, county of C'ook,

State of Illinois, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Thermostatic Valve Mechanisms, of whickvthe'iollow-mg isa specification -f he main .objects'of this invention are to provide a simpleand improved form of valve mechanism adapted `to `operate under vthe control of the thermostat .to provide certain i-m,- provements in the yconstruction of deyices of this kind; to provide `an improveddevice of this kind in 'which the movement of an electric heater and .to provide `improved Ato saidheater.l y

The accompanying drawings illustratea speciic embodiment of this invention, arranged for controlling the/supply of heating steam radiator. Figure 1 is a ,plan .of the parts shown is ,a 'vertical section of a structed for thermostatic control in accordance with, this invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical connections for opdevice shown in Fi ."1 and 2, In the construction shown in .the drawcarried "by a vertically slidable stem Y2,".'which'has a fdisk. or head 3 'at its upperend, and which is 4position 'by` means of a spring 4. The' upper part 'of by 'a suitable housing 5 having seated in itsupper'part a closed, hollow, disk-shaped cas i g`6," which is filled with a readily expansible' fluid, such as alcohol.

provide a seat for an electric'heating -element 7, which is connected' by line wires/f8 source of current.v The heater may be in the form of a-coil of wire or metal ribbon embedded in a suitable c ement, and is, of course, insulated. from the casing 6 and disk3. The insulation is ar- 'the casingA 6 and to prevent the flow of heat -from the heater andwca'sing to they disk I3.-

Specification of Lettersfatent. appiicnonmedganua'ry15,1912. lserialrrfo.c71, ac4.

,'trolled by vjbroughttogetherso-as to form contactmember 17 ment with the contact members 16. i verse movement of walls of the casing'6 Patented are thi-I1 l,and serve asa diaphragm, movable due to expansion through pressure changes and contraction of thev fluid vcontents of the. casing 6, and said casing is loca-ted between the .disk 3 .and a second disk (5r-abutment 9 which is .adjustable by meanslof a screw 10 to regulate the open position of the valve 1 4 upon the .contentsof the casing.

. A thermostat 11, represented diagrammatically in Fig. 3, is arranged to actuate a relay l2 bridged across-.the line vin series with the @thermostat-browning a switch 14:v in the .linecircuit of 13 bridged across thev line by wires 23 also controls the line circuit for cuttingin resistance 15 by the expansion of the contents of the casing 6, as illustratedfin Fig. 1. The resistance 15 reduceslthe current vto heater and is sc proportionedasto maintain the heater `at a certain low temperature.

The switch 13, as illustrated-in Fig. 2,

vhas a pair of stationary contacts 16 bridged by a movable contact 17, slidably carried on the stem 18. Tiis stem coacts with an arm 2 0 carried by the valve stem 2 so as to cause the contactmember 17 to shift into and out of `engagement with the contacts 16 through the lmovement of the valve stem 2. As the valve stem 2 has considerably greater range of movement than does the stem 18 of Athe switch 13, said ablel nuts or shoulders l9` apart va suiiicient sired vamount of which are spaced distance to provide the .delost motion. In the parthe position ofthe contact memb a spring 21, the ends ofwhich are a contractible annular spring. vThis coacts with a double cone 22 on the s'tem'18. It will be seen that when the'stem is raised, the Aspring'will pass the widest part of the'cone and will force the A rethe stem 'causes the spring' to pass the middle of the cone and through its resilience raises the contact member17.

The operation of the device shown is as downward into engage- Nov. 3,1914.

' and also `the pressure exertedA by the spring the heater 7. 'A switch.y

'stem is provided with adjust- -tlcular form ofswitch which 1s illustrated, '9 er 17 is confollows -The thermostat is set for the de Y sired temperature. As the valve 1 is normallyheld open by other heating medium will be admitted to the radiator and the temperature of the l1'10 the spring 4, steamo-r I jto room will rise until it reaches the predetermined temperature for which the thermostat has been set,.whe*reupon the .thermostat will close the circuit of the relay 12, moving the switch arm 14, and thereby closing the circuit of the heater 7 The current flowing through the heating coil 7 raises the temperature of the fluid in the casing 6, causing it to expand until it closes the valve 1. The downward "movement of the valve stem' 2 shifts the stem 18 downwardly, opens the switch 13, and inserts resistance 15. flhis reduces the current to an amount just "suiiicient to keep the valve closed.

It will be seen that if the temperature of the room falls below the temperature for which the thermostat is set, the circuit of the relay 12will be opened, allowing arm 14 to completely open the circuit to the heater. The metal walls of the casing 6 will dissipate thev heat andcause the fluid therein to cool and contract, thereby allowing 'the valve 1 to return to its 'open position. 'The circuit is now closed at the switch 13 and is again ready for control by the thermostat. If the temperature of the room rises above the predetermined temperature, the circuit of the relay 12 will be closed bythe thermostat, and as this sets in operation the heating coil 7 the valve 1 will be closed and will beheld closed until the thermostat again acts tol open ythe circuit at 14. `If the heat of the room has fallen sufliciently to cause the thermostat to open the relay -`circuit, the casing 6 will cool and contract, the stem willrise and'the line resistance switch will accordingly close .at 13 and the operation of the heating coil 7 will not occur until the thermostat again reaches the predetermined temperature.

Although but one 'specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted withoutvdeparting from the spirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims. l

1. lnv a device of the class described, the combinationof a valve, means normally urging said valve to one position, an expansible casing adapted to contain an expansible iiuid .movement 'ing said valve to "pansible casing ad 4said casing ing said valve to an open and arranged to shift said valve to another position, an electric heater arranged to heat said fluid, a switch arranged for controlling said heater and mechanical lmeans controlling said switch and actuated through the of 'said valve.

2. In a device of the cla-ss described, lthe I combination of a valve, means normally urgapted to contain an egrpansible fluid and arranged to close said valve through the expansion of said fluid, an electric heater arranged to heat said fluid,

a thermostat mainly controlling said heater,

an open position, an eX- e a switch supplementing control of said` heater, and mechanical means movable with said valve for actuating said switch.

3. The combination of a valve, means normally urging said valve to an open position,

a metallic casing adaptedto contain an eX- pansible fluid and' having a diaphragm movable through the expansion of such fiuid and located to close said valve through suoli expansion, an electric for influencing said supply circuit for-said heater, a thermostat adapted to control the opening and closing of said supply circuit, resistance,

heater 'adjacent to.

iiuidfa and a switch arranged for mechanical conl trol by said diaphragm into and out of said suppl the movement of said diap ragm. l

4. In a devicel of the class described, the

to cut said resistance circuit through cembination of a valve, means normally urgposition, an expansible casing adapted to contain anexpansible fluid and arranged `to close said valve through the expansion of said fluid, an electric heater arranged to heat said fluid, a thermostat and heater, and a switch independent of said relay mainly controlling saidA thermostat and relay and mechanically conneeted and controlled through the movement of said valve to vary the current delivered to the heater.

` Signed at Chicago this 10th day of anu- -ary 1912. l y v l c LEE HYNES.

Witnesses:

Enom A. RUMMLER,

EDWIN PHELPS. 

